Roland s



(No Model.)

R. S. BARTLETT. BASKET.

Patented. Mar. 17, 1885.

a? a, a,

N. PETERS. Pholu-Liihugmphur. Washington. D. c.

NITED STATES ATENT rrrca.

WILLIAMS MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

BASKET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 313,910, dated March 17, 1885.

Application filed December 24, 1884. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROLAND S. BARTLETT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Northampton, in the county of Hampshire and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Baskets, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings' My invention relates to what are known as stave baskets, which baskets are used for carrying fruit and garden-truck in measured quantities, ready for the market. The baskets are made to fit snugly one within the other when empty, to economize space when packed together for retransportation to the producer. Baskets heretofore employed of this description have been provided with a middle hoop to prevent the staves from bulging, and said hoops have been made of wood or metal bands intertwined with the staves or secured thereto by nails, rivets, or staples driven into the wood to hold the hoop in place. 7 The object of my invention is to provide improved means for forming the middle hoop and for holding said hoop in place upon the basket, as will hereinafter more fully appear.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of a basket provided with a middle hoop formed and supported upon the basket according to my invention; Fig. 2, a vertical central section through said basket; Fig. 3, a side elevation of a basket, showing a modification of the device for supporting the hoop; Fig. 4, a detail view in perspective of one form of said hoop-supporting device, and Fig. 5 is a modification thereof.

The general form and construction of the basket shown in the accompanying drawings is well known. The bottom A is made of either one piece turned to form a flange at the bottom or of two circular pieces, a a, nailed together. The lower piece, a, isslightly largerin diameter than the piece a,to project beyond its periphery and form a shoulder, a against which the lower ends of the staves B may abut. A wooden hoop, O, encircles the lower ends of the staves upon the outside of the basket and rests upon the ledge or outer edge of the shoulder a above described.

Nails 0 are driven through the hoop and staves into the bottom piece, a, to hold said parts securely together. The upper ends of the staves B are secured firmly between wooden hoops D D by nails passing through the hoops and staves to form a substantial rim for the basket in a well-known manner. The middle hoop, E, is formed of a strip of suitable material, or preferably a piece of metal. wire, that encircles the outside and middle portion of the basket, and is of sufficient length to pass completely around the basket and have its ends overlap each other opposite one of the staves, and said ends are bent or doubled around the edges of and upon the inner side of said stave in opposite directions. A complete bandis thus formed around the basket without securing the ends of the band directly to each other.

The construction above described and illustrated in the drawings of securing the end of the middle hoop to one of the staves instead of to each other to form a band is simple, strong, and effective, and is effected at little expense. The middle band, E, is held se curely in position by stays shown in the accompanying drawings.

The stay-strip may be made, as shown at F in Fig. 3, of an additional narrow stave of wood,which extends from the top to the bottom of the basket, to overlie the outside of the middle hoop and some of the staves, and be held securely by the hoops and nails m at its upper and lower ends and by nails n, driven through its middle portion into the stave immediately below the middle hoop. This form of suspension-strip serves to materially protect and strengthen the staves and basket without materially increasing the weight thereof.

Any desired number of stay -strips, but

preferably three, may be employed and arranged at equal distances apart around the basket.

I am aware that sheet-metal strips similar to those shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 4 havebeen used to connect the hoops of stave baskets, and I do not claim metal strips of that form.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. The combination, with the staves of a basket, of a middle hoop encircling the baskef, and having its ends bent around the opand staves under said middle hoop, whereby 1o posite edges of one of the st'aves, substanthe latter is supported, substantially as detially as described. 7 scribed. 1

2. The combination, in a stave basket, of In testimony whereof I affix my signature in 5 the bottom, the side staves, the hoops at the presence of two Witnesses.

top and bottom, the re-enforcing and sustain- ROLAND S. BARTLETT. ing stays F, secured by nails to the upper and Witnesses: lower hoops, the middle hoop overlaid by the A E. H. WADE, stays, and nails 42, driven through the stays D. W. BoND. 

